Ocugen is planning to establish an R&D centre in Telangana which will focus on developing cutting-edge gene modifier therapies and regenerative cell therapy targeting unmet medical needs and vaccines to support public health.
The centre will make a positive economic impact and provide a significant number of jobs over the next few years.
Based out of Pennsylvania in the US, Ocugen Inc is a biotechnology company focused on developing new treatment methods to improve health and offer hope for patients across the globe.
The announcement was made after KT Rama Rao’s meeting with Dr Shankar Musunuri, the Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of Ocugen, Dr Arun Upadhyay, the Chief Scientific Officer and head of R&D at Ocugen, and Dr Ajay Potluri, the in-charge of the Ocugen India Project in New York.
“We look forward to expanding operations in India and we are beginning to transform Ocugen into a truly global organisation as we pursue new approaches to medicine with patients at the centre of everything we do,” said Dr Shankar Musunuri.
“We are grateful for this opportunity, and it has been a pleasure collaborating with the Telangana authorities,” he said.
“I’m delighted to welcome Ocugen to Hyderabad. This is a testament to the vibrant biotech industry and the strong academic base in the state that has attracted both local and international players to establish research and development centres. As part of our 2030 vision of becoming a USD 250 billion ecosystem, we had identified complex manufacturing and advanced therapeutics as pillars of growth and I believe this investment focused on cell & gene therapy will drive growth in the emerging areas of life sciences,” KTR said.
Ocugen’s novel R&D pipeline encompasses three unique platform technologies focused on ophthalmology, orthopaedics, and infectious diseases.
The company’s breakthrough modifier gene therapy platform has the potential to treat multiple retinal diseases caused by mutations in multiple genes with a single product, unlike traditional gene therapies.
Currently, Ocugen has three modifier gene therapy programs OCU400 (to treat retinitis pigmentosa and Leber congenital amaurosis), OCU410 (for dry AMD) and OCU410ST (for ABCA4-related retinopathies).
Ocugen is the first company to take this modifier gene therapy concept into clinics globally. Read more at https://ocugen.com/.
“Establishing an R&D centre in India creates a niche for discovering next-generation regenerative and genetic medicines. I am excited to work with the strong scientific and medical communities in Hyderabad while we continue to advance the development of therapeutic candidates at Ocugen,” said Dr Arun Upadhyay, the Chief Scientific Officer and head of R&D at Ocugen.
“Our future colleagues in India will be a valuable addition to the Ocugen team,” he added.
Dr Ajay Potluri, the in-charge of the Ocugen India Project, said, “We are thrilled to establish an R&D facility in Telangana and are grateful for the unwavering support offered by the minister and his team. Their commitment to going above and beyond to ensure the success of this project reflects the spirit of innovation in the region. We look forward to contributing to the thriving biotech ecosystem in Hyderabad and working together to bring transformative therapies to patients in need.”
